The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-07

great labor and care and especially broad and
national contemplation of the subject and
patriotic disregard OF such local and selfish
claims unreasonable and reckless OF the
welfare OF the entire country. Under our pres
ent laws more than four thousand articles are
subject to duty. Many of these do not IN any
way compete with our own manufactures, ana
many are hardly worth attention as subjects OF
revenue. A considerable reduction can De maoe
in the aggregate by adding them to the free
list. The taxation of luxuries presents no feat
of hardshps; but the necessaries of life used
and consumed by all the people, the duty upon
which adds to the cost of living in every home,
should be or eatly cheapened. The radical re-
duction of the duties imposed upon raw mate
rial used in manufacture or its free imporfa-
ton, is, of course, important factor in any
effort reduce the price of these necessaries; 1t
would not only relieve them from the increased
caused by the tariff on such material but the
manufactured product being thus cheapened,
that part of the tariff now laid upon such prod
uct as compensation to our manufacturers for
the present price OF raw material could De ac-
cordingly modified. Such reduction, or free i'm
portaton, would serve, beside. to largely reduce
the revenue. 1t is not apparent how such
change can have any injurious effect upon our
manufacturers. On the contrary it would APP
pear to give them better chance in foreign
markets with the manufacturers OF other coun-
tries, who cheaper their wares by free material.
Thus our people m ight have the opportunity of
extending their sales beyond the limits of home
consumption-saving them from the depression,
interruption in business and loss caused By
giutted domestic market. and affording their
employees more certain and steady labor, with
The question thus imperatively presented for
solution should be approached in a sp,r;t higher
than partisanshlp and considered in the light of
that regard for patriotic duty which should char
acterize the action of those Entrusted with the
veal of a confidng people.
But the obligation to declared party politics
effective action. Both of the great political
parties represented in the government
have, by repeated and authoritative deciara-
tions. condemned the condition of our laws
ha
unnecessary revenue, and have. in the most SOL
emn manner, promised its correction; and
trymen in a mood to copdone the deliberate vio-
lation of these pledges. Our progress toward
wise conclusion will not be i'm proved by dwell
Ing upon the theories OF protection and free
trade. This too much of bandying
epthets. II is eond ition which confronts us,
not theory Relief from this condi-
ton may involve a slight reduction of the ad-
vantages which we award our home productions,
but the entire withdrawal of such advantages
should not be contemplated. The question of
free trade Is absolutely Irrelevant. and the per-
sistent claim made in certain quarters that all
efforts to relieve the people from unjust and
unnecessary taxation schemes of so-calIed
free traders, is mischevous and far removed
from any consideration for the public good.
The simple and plain duty which the
people is 10 reduce taxation to the necessary ex-
penses Of an economical operation of the govern
ment and restore to the business of the country
the money which we hold in the treasury
through the perversion of governmental powers.
These things and should be done with safety
to all our industries, without danger to the OPP
portunity for remunerative labor which
workmen need, and with benefit to them and all
our people by cheapening their means Of sub
sistence and increasing the measure of their
comforts.
The Constitution provides that the President
shall, from time to time, give to the Congress
information OF the state OF the Union. It has
been the custom of the executive, In compliance
with this provision, to annually exhibit to the
Congress- at the opening of it's session. the gen.
eral condition OF the country, and to detail.
with some particularly, the operations of the
different executive departments. 1t would be
especially agreeable to follow this course at the
present time. aud to call attention to the valua-
bic accomplishments of these departments dur
Ing the last fiscal year; but l am so much i'm
pressed with the paramount Importance of the
subject to which this comm unication has thus
FAR been devoted that shall forego the addi-
ton of any other topic. and only urge upon your
Immediate consideration the Estate of the
Union" as shown IN the present condition of our
treasury and our general fiscal situation, upon
which every element of our safety and prosper
ity depends The reports of the heads of de-
partments, which will be submitted,
tain full and explicit information
touching the transactions of the
business intrusted to them. and such
mendations relating to legislation in the public
interest as they deem advisable. I ask for these
reports and recommendations the deliberate ex-
animation and action of the legislative branch of
the government.
There are other subjects not embraced in the
departmental reports demanding legislative
sideration, and which I should be glad to sub
NIT. Some of them, however, have been earn
estly presented in previous messages. and, as to
them, beg leave to repeat prior recommends
tons. AS the law makes provision for any
report from the Department of State a brief his
tory of the transactions of that important de-
partment, together with other matters which il
to the attention of the Congress-. may furnish
the occasion for future communication.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
WASHINGTON D. c., Dec 6.